


Where You Can See

by primreceded



Category: Left 4 Dead 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-02
Updated: 2010-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-15 23:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/primreceded/pseuds/primreceded





	Where You Can See

**Title:** Where You Can See  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Fandom:** Left 4 Dead 2  
 **Disclaimer:** All characters, recognizable settings and or themes belong to Valve, and others. I am in no way earning money or other profit from this fanfic.  
 **Char/Pair:** Nick/Ellis  
 **Prompt:** Mistletoe @ [](http://www.insanejournal.com/users/adventdrabbles/profile)[](http://www.insanejournal.com/users/adventdrabbles/)**adventdrabbles**  
 **Spoilers:** Some, but if you've played the game + add on you should be safe.  
 **Warnings:** Run on sentences, swearing and a Nellis n00b.  
 **W/C:** 901  
 **A/N:** First Nellis fic.

Nick’s pretty sure that it’s close to six hundred degrees outside and that he is, in fact, melting. He’d lost his jacket about two miles ago and his blue button-down is tied around his hips so he’s in nothing but his dirty slacks and a once-white wife beater. The sun has baked him, arms screaming in pain every time he raises his pistol to shoot at something and he thinks, if he listened closely over Ellis’s goddamn _yacking_ , he could probably hear the sweat sizzle as it hits his shoulders.

They drove out of New Orleans on the 310 until it merged with 49. And they made it all the way to the outskirts of Natchitoches, on the few extra gas cans they threw into the trunk before leaving the mall. It wasn’t the gas that stranded them, it was something under the hood that Nick had no idea about even if he could understand Ellis’s mumbling. Standing on the side of the road listening to Ellis cuss a blue streak while the engine coughed and sputtered got tired after twenty minutes though, and, while reluctantly, they all gathered what they could carry from the car and gave Ellis a few minutes to say goodbye before starting off down the sort of abandoned highway.

Nick can admit he’s lost track of time. It’s not like there’s any reason to care, these days are measured in either Alive or Dead and that’s all that matters until they’re rescued. Still, he’s taken by surprise when he realizes that, not only did the infection take a little slower getting here, but also that Christmas had snuck up on them. It’s not been too long, he can remember folks celebrating Halloween around him, the incessant knock on his hotel room door from kids dressed in ridiculous costumes, begging for candy, that Nick resolutely ignored. They couldn’t be more than a week or two into December.

“Man, I love Christmas,” Ellis says. There are wreaths strung up on the light posts and a plastic snowman stares at them from someone’s desolate front yard that Nick really wants to shoot right between his creepy coal eyes. “Did I ever tell you guys about the time -”

“Hey, a safe house. Come on.”

Ellis frowns a bit, annoyance flashing behind his eyes for a second at being interrupted. But if Nick didn’t cut him off he’d go on forever and Nick would be forced to shoot him.

They pick their way across the street and into the one-story, Nick bolting the steel door behind him after everyone’s inside. It’s cooler in here, if not by much, and Nick can feel the sweat drying on his skin. They don’t get many actual safe _houses_ , mostly cramped rooms with standing room only. And puttering around on the main floor, checking windows and other doors, it seems like this one will be a luxury. There’s even some left over food in the kitchen. It’s obvious not many people have been through this way yet, and Nick’s grateful that they finally get something other than the shitty end of the stick.

The living room is trashed, though, connected to the kitchen with swinging doors that Nick pushes his way through. Christmas decorations lie in a heap in one corner, glass bulbs crunch under his boots as he makes his way further into the room, mixing with long dried pine needles from the garland. Ellis is poking the remains of the tree, someone had lit it on fire and it’s charred black on one side, plastic melted.

“Upstairs are good,” Rochelle says, coming up behind Nick. “We get real beds tonight, boys.”

Ellis straightens and crosses the room to stand beside Nick, body a warm press against his side that makes sweat prickle along his top lip.

“Coach’s already passed out in the front room, and I figure if you two don’t mind sharing the two twins I’ll take the one at the end of the hall...”

Her voice trails off, eyes having gone Heavenward and Nick grabs his pistol before following her gaze.

“Oh, man,” Ellis says with a laugh.

“What the hell is that?” Nick asks, though he’s got a pretty good idea. And there’s no _way_.

“It’s mistletoe, Nick! We have to kiss now.”

“What? No, I’m not kissing you.”

Rochelle rolls her eyes at them before turning on her heal to head back upstairs. “Goodnight, boys,” she says over her shoulder. “Try not to kill him, okay, Nick?”

Nick makes no promises and shoves Ellis gently away with his elbow.

“Come on, man, it’s tradition. It won’t kill, ya, I promise.”

Nick huffs, frustrated. He knows Ellis won’t stop until he gets his way, and it’s better to just indulge the kid than to fight about it, but they’re in the middle of a goddamn zombie apocalypse and Ellis cares about _tradition_.

Nick glares at him, and there’s a spark in Ellis’s eyes, a stupid crooked smile on his face like he knows he’s _won_ or something, and Nick feels the second he gives in.

“ _Fine,_ Nick says and Ellis grins. “But I don’t want to hear another word about it you hear me? And the damn thing is coming down after so this doesn’t happen again.”

“You bet, Nick.”

Nick almost has himself convinced it’s just to shut Ellis up for the night, right up until they kiss.


End file.
